Overview
All Educator Licenses expire on June 30th of the license renewal year (either a 3 or 5-year cycle). Renewal of current licenses may be completed between January 1 and June 29th of the expiring year. Early renewals are not permitted. Expired licenses may be renewed at any time. Please refer to the Step-by-Step Guide to Educator License Renewals Google Docs. There is no penalty for renewing a license from an expired status.
Once a professional license has been issued in Utah, the license is never removed, but may be renewed by completing the renewal requirements. Renewal hours are equal to the number of clock hours spent on the activity, as determined by the licensed administrator signing the renewal form. For licenses that have been suspended or revoked, please contact the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).
All Educator License renewals are subject to monitoring by the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). As such, you are required to keep your original signed renewal form with any supporting documentation for 12 months as evidence to support your online renewal transaction. Failure to maintain documentation and follow licensing procedures may result in a repeal of your license renewal and referral to the USBE Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).
If you experience any renewal difficulties, please contact the Licensing Team at licensing@schools.utah.gov.
Professional Educator License (PEL)
It is recommended to use the Professional Educator License (PEL) Renewal Form to renew your license. The form may be completed either digitally (PDF) or printed and filled out manually. The educator must document a minimum of 100 hours of renewal activity. For educators who are Active, activities must be documented in at least two sections as defined on the form. Inactive or Returning Educators may enter hours in any (or one) section of the form and are not subject to the section maximums.
Complete the online renewal process in Utah Schools Information Management System (USIMS). Educators should only finalize the renewal in USIMS once ALL requirements have been completed and the form has been reviewed and signed by a licensed administrator or other approved authority. The signed/approved form is then maintained by the educator and is not submitted to USBE unless the educator is notified of a monitoring review. Failure to maintain documentation and follow licensing procedures may result in a repeal of your license renewal and referral to the USBE Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).
Associate Educator License (AEL)
An Associate Educator License may be renewed if the individual has less than 3 years of experience in a Utah public or accredited private school and has earned 100 hours within this cycle or the most recent 3 years if the cycle has expired. Renewals can be submitted between May 1 and June 29th before the expiration or anytime after the license has expired.
Please use the Associate Educator License Renewal Form(External Web Content) to renew your license. The form may be completed either digitally (PDF) or printed and filled out manually then scanned. The educator must document a minimum of 100 hours of renewal activity in at least two areas on the form. Associate Renewals include the completion of the Associate Educator License modules in CANVAS within the last 6 months, refresh of the USBE Educator Ethics Review within the last 12 months, and a currently cleared USBE background check.
Complete the online renewal request in AEL Renewal site. Educators should only finalize the renewal online once ALL requirements have been met and the form has been reviewed and signed by a licensed administrator or other approved authority. The signed/approved form is attached to the online submission and the educator will receive an email confirmation once the renewal has been processed. Failure to maintain documentation and follow licensing procedures may result in a repeal of your license renewal and referral to the USBE Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).
For educators with three (3) or more years of work in a Utah public or accredited private school, they may work with their employer to request an Associate License extension. You must complete the Associate Educator License Extension Form and submit the online form in the AEL Extension(External Web Content) site. The one-time extension may be granted for one (1) school year.
LEA-Specific Educator License (LEA-S)
A Local Education Agency (LEA)-Specific License may be renewed if the license area is not special education or a related service. Renewals are submitted for approval by the Local Education Area (LEA) Human Resources and the approved renewal status is then reported electronically by the LEA through CACTUS after July 15th of the new school year. LEA-Specific licenses may be renewed at any time after the license has expired. Renewal forms are not submitted to the USBE.
Your employer may require you to use the Local Education Agency (LEA) Specific Educator License Renewal Form(External Web Content) to renew the license. The form may be completed either digitally (PDF) or printed and filled out manually then provided to the Human Resources department for approval. The educator must document a minimum of 60 hours of renewal activities in at least two areas on the form. LEA-Specific Renewals require a refresh through the Utah Schools Information Management System (USIMS) site of both the USBE Educator Ethics Review within the last 12 months, and a cleared USBE background check completed after July 1, 2015 that has not been discontinued through the FBI Rapback network.
Approved LEA-Specific Renewal forms are retained by the Educator and LEA in the event the renewal is selected for monitoring by the Utah State Board of Education for up to 24 months from the date of the renewal. Failure to maintain documentation and follow licensing procedures may result in a repeal of your license renewal and referral to the USBE Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).
Video Tutorials for Professional License Renewals
The following video tutorials will walk you through the steps to complete your professional educator license renewal.
Episode 1: Set up a USIMS account, migrate CACTUS data, and complete the Educator Ethics Review
Episode 2: Completing the renewal form, documenting activities, and meeting with an administrator
Episode 3: Saving documentation, completing renewal in USIMS, and printing a copy of your license.